Cell phone charger with incoming call indicator

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/427,297 filed Nov. 18, 2002.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery charger for use with portable electronic devices and more particularly to a cell phone battery charger that couples to a vehicle battery power source and includes an electronic circuit for visual indication of an incoming call.

[0003] Portable devices such as cell phones and handheld computers are often charged by using a battery charger that couples to the cigarette lighter receptacle of a vehicle. During charging the cell phone remains fully functional for the user to make outgoing calls or to receive incoming calls. Sometimes the sounds being output by the radio while riding in a vehicle makes it difficult to hear a cell phone ring upon receipt of an incoming call, and/or the cell phone may not be equipped with display/keypad backlighting to alert the user to the incoming call. At other times, the cell phone may be resting in a position that prevents the user from seeing a visual indicator of an incoming call that is disposed on the phone preventing the user from being alerted to the incoming call. Accordingly, the present invention provides a cell phone battery charger for use in a vehicle that includes a means for providing a visual indication to the user that an incoming call is being received by the cell phone when the radio output level is high and when a visual indicator disposed on the phone cannot be seen due to the phones position.

[0004] The present invention provides a cell phone battery charger that includes a visual indicator operative to alert a user to an incoming call under conditions where the user might not otherwise be alerted to the incoming call by audible means.

[0005] The inventive battery charger includes a housing having first and second ends wherein the first end of the housing is dimensioned for slip fit engagement into a cigarette lighter receptacle of a vehicle. The first end of the housing includes electrical contacts for complimentary engagement with the electrical contacts disposed within the cigarette lighter receptacle.

[0006] The second end of the housing includes an electrical conductor attached thereto for the purpose of conducting electrical signals between the charger housing and the cell phone. The free end of the electrical conductor terminates into an electrical connector for connecting to the cell phone-charging jack.

[0007] A charger circuit is disposed within the housing and is in electrical communication with the electrical contacts disposed at the first end of the housing and also with the electrical conductor attached at the second end of the housing.

[0008] The charger includes at least one light source supported by the housing and is operative to provide a visual indication to the user of an incoming call.

[0009] The at least one light source is provided in electrical communication with an incoming call sensing circuit. The sensing circuit operates to detect an incoming call signal into the cellular phone and to produce an electrical signal in response to detecting the incoming call signal. The incoming call sensing circuit is further operative to communicate the electrical signal produced in response to the incoming call signal to the at least one light source to cause the light source to illuminate accordingly.

[0010] A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are given like reference numerals and where it:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cell phone charger with incoming call indicator as according to the invention;

[0012] FIG. 2 is a block diagram view of a preferred embodiment of the cell phone charger with incoming call indicator; and

[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a black diagram of an alternative embodiment of the cell phone charger with incoming call indicator as according to the invention.

[0014] The present invention provides a cell phone battery charger that includes a visual indicator operative to alert a user to an incoming call under conditions where the user might not otherwise be alerted to the incoming call by audible means.

[0015] With reference to FIG. 1 a battery charger according to the invention includes a housing 12 having a first end 14 and second end 16 wherein the first end 14 of the housing 12 is dimensioned to be received into a cigarette light receptacle of a vehicle in slip fit engagement. The first end 14 of the housing 12 also includes a positive electrical contact 20 for communication with the complimentary positive contact of the electrical receptacle, and negative electrical contacts 22 for engaging the complimentary negative electrical contacts of the cigarette lighter receptacle.

[0016] The second end 16 of the housing 12 includes an electrical conductor 24 attached thereto for the purpose of conducting electrical signals between the inventive charger 10 and the cell phone P to be charged. The free end of the electrical conductor 24 terminates into an electrical connector 26 for connecting to the cell phone P to be charged.

[0017] Referring now to FIG. 2 a charger circuit 30 is disposed within the housing 12 and is in electrical communication with the electrical contacts 20 and 22 disposed at the first end 14 of the housing 12 and the electrical conductor 24 attached at the second end 16 of the housing 12.

[0018] The battery charger 10 includes a visual indicator circuit 32 having at least one light source disposed in the housing 12. The visual indicator circuit 32 is operative to provide a visual indication to the user when an incoming call is detected.

[0019] The visual indicating circuit 32 is provided in electrical communication with an incoming call sensing circuit 34 disposed within the housing 12. The incoming call sensing circuit 34 operates to detect an incoming call signal to the cellular phone P and thereafter to produce and electrical signaling response to detecting the incoming call signal. The incoming call sensing circuit 34 is further operative to communicate the electrical signal produced in response to the incoming call signal to the visual indicator circuit 32 to cause the light source to illuminate accordingly. Preferably, the visual indicating circuit 32 causes the at least one light source to continue to illuminate after the incoming call has been detected and until the visual indicator circuit 32 has been reset.

[0020] In this matter, if a user of the inventive battery charger is not immediately alerted to the occurrence of an incoming call during the detection period, the continued illumination of the at least one light source provides a means of alerting the user that an incoming call has been received.

[0021] Preferably, the light source contained within the inventive battery charger 10 is a solid state device such as an LED although other light emitting devices may be utilized for such purpose illustratively including incandescent bulbs.

[0022] The visual indicator circuit 32 may include the capability to cause the light source to flash intermittently in response to receiving an incoming call signal from the incoming call circuit 34. This feature may add to the capability of the battery charger to alert the user of an incoming call while the call is being detected.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the battery charger 10 may include a signal conditioning and activation circuit 36 disposed between the incoming call circuit 34 and the visual indicator circuit 32. The signal conditioning and the activation circuit 36 is operative to receive the incoming call signal for conditioning and thereafter transmitting an electrical signal to the visual indicator circuit 32 for activating the at least one light source. The signal conditioning and activation circuit 36 may illustratively be comprised of an amplifier circuit, rectification circuit, and a solid state switch for activating the visual indicator circuit 32.

[0024] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, a reset button 38 is preferably disposed on the housing 12 and placed in communication with the visual indicator circuit 32 as described above, the visual indicator circuit 32 may be designed to continuously illuminate the at least one light source upon detecting an incoming call signal until the visual indicator call circuit 32 is reset. Accordingly, the reset button 38 is provided on the battery charger housing 12 in a manner that allows a user to simply push the reset button 38 to reset the visual indicator circuit 32 as needed.

[0025] Referring now to FIG. 3, an alternative embodiment of the battery charger 10 is illustrated in a block diagram, the alternative embodiment is operative to receive an incoming call signal from the cell phone P from an incoming call sensing circuit disposed within the cell phone P as opposed to having the incoming call sensing circuit disposed within the battery charger housing 12. The incoming call signal may be coupled to the battery charger 10 via the terminal connector 26 and conductor 24 in a manner known to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the incoming call sensing circuit obviates the need for an incoming call sensing circuit being disposed within the battery charger 10 prime.

[0026] From the foregoing, a cell phone battery charger with incoming call indicator capabilities is provided that is operative to alert a user to an incoming call under the conditions where the user might not otherwise be alerted to the incoming call by audible means. Having described the invention in detail, however, additional features and embodiments may become apparent to those skilled in the art, however, without seeing the scope of the present invention.